Sesame seed crusted lamb chops
Lamb is one of those types of meat that is a delight all year long but for me Easter tastes even better with a plate of lamb. While living with my parents I didn't get the chance of eating as much lamb as I would like because most of our family didn't like he exquisite and strong flavor of this meat (believe it or not!). So now, I don't wast a chance of eating it. That doesn't mean I cook it frequently, though. In fact, yesterday was my second time cooking it. The first time I cooked a rack of lamb I followed a recipe by Gordon Ramsay but I was not particularly happy with it. He suggests a crust of parmesan cheese and herbs but the flavor of the cheese ended up standing above everything else and turned the dish quite heavy. This time, I decided to follow my guts and try a recipe that came to my mind during last week. It also includes cooking the meat involved in a crust but this time I chose sesame seeds and instead of cooking the entire rack, I cut it in individual chops. So, here it is my recipe for sesame seeds crusted lamb chops that will serve 2 to 3 people.
Take a rack of lamb with 8 chops and cut it in individual chops slicing it next to each bone. You can also ask your butcher to cut the chops. Your choice. Put the chops in a large bowl, add 1/2 cup of soy sauce, 1/4 cup of fresh ginger, 3 garlic cloves mashed, 1 tablespoon of mashed coriander seeds, and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Cover and let it marinate for at least one hour. When you are ready to cook them, combine 1 cup of untoasted sesame seeds, zest of one lime and a pinch of salt into a plate or bowl. Coat the chops with the seeds. Put 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a pan over moderate high heat. When the oil is hot, add the chops (do not overlap them or they will not cook properly. Cook them in batches if you have to) and cook for 2 minutes or until the seeds are brown. Turn them and let it cook for 1.5 or 2 more minutes for medium. Note that the cooking time depends highly on the thickness of the chop. Use your best judgement here. If in doubt, press the chops with your finger. They are medium when you feel a slight resistance when you press them. For medium rare, the chops should not present almost no resistance to pressing and they should show some elasticity. But again, this depends greatly on the thickness of the meat cut.
The best accompaniments for lamb are veggies, in my opinion. For this recipe I chose stuffed tomatoes with bitter greens, a recipe by Chef Jean Georges Vongerichten. It is a delicious and simple side (or meal, even) to make. You can make it while the meat is marinating. Just empty the tomatoes (1 per person) with a spoon, reserve the meat, and season the tomatoes with salt and pepper. Saute some shallots and greens onions in olive oil until translucent and add 3 cups of bitter greens (arugula, turnip greens, radicchio, etc) roughly chopped and cook them for 1 minute. Add the tomato meat, season with salt and pepper, and fill 1/3 of each tomato shell with the greens. Add a generous slice of goat cheese and top with more greens. Put 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a pan, place the tomatoes inside the pan, drizzle with more olive oil, and cook inside a preheated oven (400F) for 30 to 40 minutes. Then, remove the tomatoes to a serving plate, bring the pan to the top of a high heat, add 3 tablespoons of balsamic or cherry vinegar (here, again, use your best judgement. If you need more sauce add a little more olive sauce and vinegar) and bring to rapid boil, deglazing the pan. Pour the sauce over the tomatoes and serve.
The tomatoes are really delicious and my recipe for the lamb works really well. The meat was super tender and the ginger and the sesame seeds give them a wonderful fresh and asian touch. This great cooking adventure of mine is paying off already and it is even more rewarding than I expected.
Take a rack of lamb with 8 chops and cut it in individual chops slicing it next to each bone. You can also ask your butcher to cut the chops. Your choice. Put the chops in a large bowl, add 1/2 cup of soy sauce, 1/4 cup of fresh ginger, 3 garlic cloves mashed, 1 tablespoon of mashed coriander seeds, and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Cover and let it marinate for at least one hour. When you are ready to cook them, combine 1 cup of untoasted sesame seeds, zest of one lime and a pinch of salt into a plate or bowl. Coat the chops with the seeds. Put 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a pan over moderate high heat. When the oil is hot, add the chops (do not overlap them or they will not cook properly. Cook them in batches if you have to) and cook for 2 minutes or until the seeds are brown. Turn them and let it cook for 1.5 or 2 more minutes for medium. Note that the cooking time depends highly on the thickness of the chop. Use your best judgement here. If in doubt, press the chops with your finger. They are medium when you feel a slight resistance when you press them. For medium rare, the chops should not present almost no resistance to pressing and they should show some elasticity. But again, this depends greatly on the thickness of the meat cut.
The best accompaniments for lamb are veggies, in my opinion. For this recipe I chose stuffed tomatoes with bitter greens, a recipe by Chef Jean Georges Vongerichten. It is a delicious and simple side (or meal, even) to make. You can make it while the meat is marinating. Just empty the tomatoes (1 per person) with a spoon, reserve the meat, and season the tomatoes with salt and pepper. Saute some shallots and greens onions in olive oil until translucent and add 3 cups of bitter greens (arugula, turnip greens, radicchio, etc) roughly chopped and cook them for 1 minute. Add the tomato meat, season with salt and pepper, and fill 1/3 of each tomato shell with the greens. Add a generous slice of goat cheese and top with more greens. Put 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a pan, place the tomatoes inside the pan, drizzle with more olive oil, and cook inside a preheated oven (400F) for 30 to 40 minutes. Then, remove the tomatoes to a serving plate, bring the pan to the top of a high heat, add 3 tablespoons of balsamic or cherry vinegar (here, again, use your best judgement. If you need more sauce add a little more olive sauce and vinegar) and bring to rapid boil, deglazing the pan. Pour the sauce over the tomatoes and serve.
The tomatoes are really delicious and my recipe for the lamb works really well. The meat was super tender and the ginger and the sesame seeds give them a wonderful fresh and asian touch. This great cooking adventure of mine is paying off already and it is even more rewarding than I expected.
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